Ball rolling game



April 23, 1940. y F. G. NlcoLAus 2,198,389

' BALL ROLLING GAME Filed oct. 7, 1937 Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE BALL ROLLING GAME Application October 7,

2 Claims.

The invention relates to ball rolling games oi the type having a game board or table sloped slightly from the horizontal within a cabinet; balls being rollable over the table to engage targets thereon in the form of contact switches closable by the balls to make electric circuits for operating score counters or ticket or check vending attachments.

It has been found in practice that unscrupulous persons will, with fraudulent intent, take a small ratchet type drill and bore a small hole through the wooden cabinet just above the level of the game board and insert a small gauge, stii piece of wire, through such hole and by means of the wire engage a target contact switch and so close it repeatedly to establish the electric circuits and in such unauthorized and unsportsmanlike manner cause operation of the score counting or vending devices.

Obviously, it is desirable that such unfair persons be discouraged and thwarted in their nefarious practices.

Accordingly, it is desirable when a wire or the like is passed through the wall of the cabinet to engage a target switch, that an auxiliary circuit be set up automatically to cause operation of the usual tell-tale indicator device used in these gamesfor giving an indication when the table has been tilted from its normal level. By such means the relay controlling the score indicator or vender attachment is made inoperative, without actually tilting the table.

More particularly, therefore, the invention relates to a cheat-proof arrangement ior games of the type stated. .l

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved ball rolling game.

Another object is to provide an armor plate edging for these game cabinets to discourage the drilling of holes through the cabinet wall.

Another object is to provide such armor of conductor material included in a circuit which when closed, will cause operation oi' a tilt indicating tell tale device and make any scoring or vending attachment simultaneously inoperative.

Other important objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

In carrying out the invention in a preferred practicable form, the rear edge and a side edge of the cabinet, between the top glass panel and the table or game board are lined, or armored with a metal strip oi conductor material disposed in a circuit with the game targets, tell-tale, and vender or scorer, in such a manner that a wire 1937, Serial No. 167,731

passed through a hole in the cabinet wall and armor strip will complete a circuit to make the tell tale device operative, and the scorer, or vender, inoperative.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, show- 5 ing an illustrative example of the invention:

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a typical ball rolling game incorporating the improved cheat prooilng means; and,

Figure 2 is an enlarged, detail, cross sectional 10 view through the game, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and also showing a simple wiring diagram.

The game comprises the usual cabinet I0, having a rear wall II and a front wall I2. The 15 cabinet carries the usual table or board I3 sloped slightly from the horizontal with the high end adjacent the rear wall II, and the low end adjacent the front wall I2. A glass panel I4 closes the open top of the cabinet.

'Ihe table I3 carries one or more spring bumper contact elements I5 and the table I3 and cover I4 are spaced apart the requisite distance to enable balls to roll freely over the table to engage the elements I5. These elements I5 are disposed 25 in an electric circuit I6 with a suitable source of energy, such as the battery I'I. A wire I8 leads from the opposite side of the battery and includes a master switch I9 from which a Wire 20 including a relay coil 2| leads to the 'opposite 30 contact for each bumper element I5, said opposite contact comprising a conductor ferrule 22 embedded in an opening formed in the table adjacent each element I5. 'Ihe element I5 has a leg extension 23 hanging pendantly into the fer- 35 rule element 22, as shown. When a ball on the table I3 bumps the spring element I5 as shown in Figure 2, the leg 23 is deflected to engage the contact element 22 and momentarily establish a circuit to energize the electromagnetic relay coil 2|, which in turn can be used in the well known manner to operate some sort of a conventional step up means for score registering purposes, or a vender of some kind.

A ball shooting plunger 24 is provided in the 5 front wall I2, as usual, to enable balls to be manually projected, one at a time, through the usual right hand passageway 25 onto the table for gravitational rolling thereover to hlt the bumpers I5. A conventional form of coin release slide 50 26 is also carried in the front wall I2 to release the game for play in the usual manner, and also to cause closing of the master switch I9.

Unscrupulous persons, it has been found in the use of these games, will. while a Confederate or 66 vat 21.

2 2,19e,aso

accessory is playing the game, stand at the left hand side, or rear end of the cabinet and with the use of a small pocket size drill, bore a hole through the cabinet wall between the glass I4 and table I3. Such person will thereupon insert a stiil piece of Wire or the drill itself, through such opening and engage the bumper I5, repeatedly operating same surreptitiously to build up a high score or achieve operations of the vender.

To thwart such persons, the present invention provides several safe-guards. First, the inner face of the rear wall and the adjacent inner edge of the left hand wall is armored with a continuous strip of conductor metal as shown Preferably such armoring need be provided only between the cover I4 and the table I3, as shown. Thus, it will be diiiicult for an ordinary wood drill to drill through the cabinet. However, if a metal drilling tool is used, the armoring 21 may be pierced and a through hole. such as at 28 in the dotted lines, may be formed and a piano or similar stii wire, such as 29 may be passed into the cabinet to bump the contact I5. This practice will be discouraged by the fact that the armor 21 is a conductor in a circuit 30 with the relay coil 3| of a conventional form of anti-tilt or tilt tell tale device 32, the circuit with the source of energy being completed by closed switch I9, .wire I8, wire I8, contact I5, and wire 29. When the poker wire 29 so closes the circuit described, the coil 3| is` energized and serves to operate means of any desired kind, for opening the switch I9 to break the main circuit for the targets, and also to cause operation of the device 32 to indicate tilt and inoperativeness of the game.

Thus has been provided structure for attaining the desirable objects of the invention. It is the intention to cover herein all changes and modiiications of the example oi.' the invention shown and described, which do not in material respects constitute departures from the spirit and scope oi' the invention as covered in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An armour and anti-cheat means for a ball rolling game having a cabinet enclosing a substantially horizontal table over which balls are rollable to engage a normally open electrical switch disposed on the table, which switch is disposed in a first circuit with a source of energy, the said circuit including a coil energizable when a. ball engages the switch to close said circuit, the armour'and anti-cheat means comprising a strip of conductor metal associated with the wall of the cabinet and wired in another electric cirenit with the source of energy and one side of the table switch, and a coil included in the latter circuit energizable when a conductor piece passed through the wall of the cabinet engages the strip of conductor metal and closes the table switch, such piece acting to bridge the strip and table switch to close the circuit for energizing the last mentioned coil.

2. An armour and anticheat means for a ball rolling game having a cabinet closed atits top by a transparent cover and carrying below said cover a substantially horizontal table over which balls are rollable to engage a normally open electrical switch disposed on the table, which switch is` in a rst circuit with a source of energy, the said circuit including a coil energizable when a ball engages the switchvto close said circuit, the armour and anti-cheat means comprising a strip of conductor metal lining the inside face of a wall portion of the cabinet between the table and transparent cover. said lining wired in another electric circuit with a source of energy and one side of the table switch, and a coil included in the latter circuit energizable when a conductor piece is passed through the lining strip in contact therewith and with the piece.at the samel time engaging the table switch to close same,

such piece acting to bridge the lining and table switch to complete a circuit for energizing the last mentioned coil.

, FRANK G. NICOLAUS. 

